Film Reviews Analysis

I have analysed and annotated these online film review articles.  The next post I will do on this subject I will look at other types of reviews. 

Here I have highlighted various parts of the text that I felt were important, or instrumental in getting the tone and overview of the review. 

This BH6 review was multiple pages long. It discussed the plot and went over the characters and other aspects of the film. It concluded that BH6 was an excellent film made for the younger generation, but was enjoyed across all age ranges. 

Overall I felt that the reviews I read were aimed at the general public, not people who were interested or knew anything about film. They used basic easily understandable language and mostly just went over the plot of the films whilst giving it a age suitably rating. I thought there would be more opinion giving and closer analysis over the deeper parts of the films. I will take this into consideration when I write and make my film review. 

Film Reviews

The film I chose are from a variety of genres and I made sure to use lots of different film review sources. I will be analysing these later. 

Codes and Conventions of Short Films

Length: A short film will most commonly last between 3 to 15 minutes, however some can last for 40 minutes.

Storylines: Storylines are generally kept simple but are sometimes hard to follow as they contain a sense of ambiguity. Narratives include linear, open, closed, circular which is usually condensed with limited dialogue. In particular, voice over’s are also used instead of dialogue which usually focuses around the central protagonist.  

Character: Due to the length of short films will usually introduce between 1 and 3 main characters. The central protagonist will remain central in the frame. Short films don’t have time to create a deep back story or history of the characters involve; therefore, character numbers are kept low to allow the audience to relate to the characters in the small amount of time.

Twist: Including a twist is a common convention in short film which allows the director to tell a short story in an interesting way or in their own style. A "twist" - usually Short Films contain a ‘Twist’ to make the story line is more interesting and have a new dimension to the short clip. Without a "Twist" in a Short Film the story-line would simply be rather boring and have no story to it.

Creativity: Short films tend to include creativity as they portray ideas in original yet vague way. This is made through a number of creative shots which enables the director to show their own style.

Niche Audience: Short films tend to have a smaller yet niche audience, compared to mainstream work in feature films. Due to the creative nature, length and simple storyline, short films include a unique style which appeals to a much more specific audience.

Emotion: Short films are used to convey a strong emotion to the audience whether this can be sadness, happiness, or anger to make certain comments in society.

Low Budget: This is based on the fact that most Short Film Directors are independent without the sufficient backing in terms of funding. To ensure their budget is low, they stick to one or two locations for their film as well as only using a few actors. Having such a short film allows costs to be little to nothing in some departments, as some actors will work for free if they really like the story line.

Film Posters Analysis - Part 2

Mean Girls

The colours of this film poster fit in with the target audience of this film which is girls, this is because the title, the outfits and the name of the main character are all pink which is associated with girls. The colour of the background also makes the rest of the colours stand out from the rest of the page as the background is such a plain colour. The images of this film poster have the conventions of a chick flick because the images of the characters are only of females and this tells the audience who the film is aimed at. The main character on the left of the poster is also larger than the rest of the characters and this shows that she is the most important character of the film; it also shows that she is an outsider because she is wearing a different colour and style of outfit than the other characters. The position of the character also backs up what is said in the tag line, “watch your back”, it shows that she is the character that needs to be careful and there will be conflict with and the image shows her looking over her shoulder in a scared facial expression. These images suggest a narrative as well as the tag line. The title of the film, “Mean Girls” stands out from the rest of the context of the page as it is bright pink and this colour represents the target audience of the film.  Underneath the title there is also another short tag line and this also tells the audience that the film is a comedy and a romance. The tag line “Watch your back” tells the audience that there will be conflict between the characters that are on the film poster. It also has the release date underneath it in bright pink and this makes it more visible to the audience. This film poster also has a billing block that tells the audience a variety of different technical information, such as the media institutions the director are the producers. However, it isn’t as large as most billing blocks and is more spread out on the page because it has a longer length. The billing block on this film poster also doesn’t follow the conventions of a typical billing block as this also follows the style of the title; it is vertical rather than horizontal. This leaves more room for larger images and more detail on the film poster. On this film poster there is no commendation from any media institutions (for example, a quote or a star rating system) and therefore this does not back up how good the film is to the audience because there is no one telling them how good the film is. 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

This poster has clearly been very carefully composed, and is no where near as simple as a still from the film. The colours of the poster clearly show that it is a Scifi film as the black background is vastly contrasted with the bright neon colours illuminating the darkness. This juxtaposition creates intrigue as it is dramatic. It also has other conventions of a scifi film in that the poster shows spaceships, lasers and ray guns. It also references other film sin its series as it shows the franchise weapon of choice , the lightsaber. As this is a new era for the brand however they have updates this icon to have extra parts forming a handle. The main character is the centred and has the second largest presence. (The first being the films main villain). This allows the audience to identify Rey as the main protagonist.  
Going against convention, the poster doesn't have a tag line, any actors names, or any reviews/ star ratings. This could be because the franchise is so iconic that they felt it was unnecessary. It does, however, have a billing block that tells the audience the finer details of the film, including who worked on it and when it will be realised. The typography of the words Star Wars are in the film's normal font, and this logo serves as another reminder that the film is within the same franchise as the others before it. The poster allows the target audience to identify the film as something they might want to see. 

Inception

The dark colours show that Inception is a film with darker themes and happenings. The bright red stands out against the dark background, and almost shouts the title at the viewer. This red could also cannot blood, as the other parts of the film poster elude to the film being of the action genre. Although the picture contains the characters they are only within the bottom half of the poster, the rest being devoted to the amazing SFX of the road where they are standing being warped and turning to be vertical and opposite the viewer. This eludes to the narrative as this is not a normal phenomenon, and as so much poster space has been devoted to it. You can tell that it is an action film as two of the characters on the poster are holding guns. This is a common iconography for a action film, and helps fans of the genre identify the film as something they want tom see. All of the men on the poster are wearing suits, this shows their higher class and high profile jobs. This may interest the audience as they want to find out what these jobs are. The picture could be a still from the film as the rules of verisimilitude have not been broken. The horizontal poster would allow for it to be used as a DVD/ Blue-ray cover as well. This would help the audience make the link between still poster image and the film. The tag line "Your mind is the scene of the crime" is very interning to the audience as it doesn't make any logical scene. This would encourage them to go and see the film to find out what they mean.  The large billing box tells the viewer more about the film, this may have been done as famous filmmakers worked on the film which would create interest. As well as this the actors names are placed at the top of the poster, with the most famous, Dicaprio's, in the largest font. 

Pure Love

For this next poster I decided to go out of my comfort zone and analyse a Korean romance film. This poster is quite clearly from a romance film, as the bright colours and happy vibe emirate from it. The two protagonists on the cover also show this from the way that they are looking at each other. The text is light coloured and looks hand-written. There are little clues to the narrative except for the fact that there will be romance as part of the storyline. The picture of the main characters is very close up, its very intimate for them, and for the audience. Although I have not seen the film, I happen to know that the male actor is a very famous Korean singer, and the female actress started her career early and was a famous child actress who grew up and stayed in the trade. It was important for the filmmakers to have these two celebrities front and centre on the poster to attract their fans to the film, and to create buzz around them working together. The billing block in this film poster is especially small and compacted. I do not know if this is more of a Korean thing to do, or if this poster is an anomaly. 

Stardust

The contrast in colours creates a powerful poster, as it is eye catching and different. They also show the genre of the film to be fantasy as the vibrancy could connote adventure and magic. The poster is dominated by pictures of the characters, in varying degrees of size. This is helpful to the audience as it tells them how important the characters are, and who the main protagonists are. In this case it is clear that the male and female duo who are front and centre fill this role. Although they are not the biggest in size they are clearly the main focal point of the poster. The clothing the characters are wearing date the film to be set in the past. The title, slogan, and billing block are all together at the bottom of the poster while the actors names are in a line at the top. The colour of all the text is a light mutated yellow, to fit with the title and logo of the film. Of which has creatively been made so that a shooting/ falling star crosses the A to form the letter. This is a hint to the film's narrative as fallen star is the one of the most vital part of the film's story. 

Film Posters Analysis - Part 1

Film posters are form of advertising that help to raise awareness of an upcoming film release. Posters often follow a variety of conventions including having a striking image, the film title, actors/actresses names, the release date, age certificate, and director or production company names. These details provide viewers with all the information they need to know about the film, and the style and appearance of the poster will help audiences identify what the film’s genre is. Film posters can be displayed in a variety of places from being on street billboards, and buses to featuring in magazines and online.

 Thor Analysis

This film poster gains our attention by putting the antagonist in the center of the poster. His body language is very eye-catching as it looks like he is coming to save the viewer, this is shown in the way he looks directly at the camera, and audience. The film poster also refers to the popular movie 'Iron Man'. This is done so people will be more eager to see Thor as they know that the same director made Iron Man; which was really good. This film is an obviously an action film. The protagonist has a massive weapon in his hand. The target audience for this would be teenagers and most probably mostly directed towards males. This is because there are three men on the poster and only one woman. The tagline of this film poster is 'Courage is immortal'. This links with the genre of the story as we know that to fight you need courage. The main colours of this poster is dark blue and red. They are stereotypically  masculine colours and this links in with the strength of Thor and his power to defeat anyone. The poster has different characters behind Thor who are wearing metallic clothing. This symbolizes that they are superheroes. This lets the audience know some extra information about the film, and is a convention for all film posters.

Alice in Wonderland Analysis

Alice in Wonderland is a fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton.  Alice, the main protagonist is front and center in a light blue dress making the audience be drawn immediately to her. Having her in this position and costume makes her the main focus of the image, and tells the audience she is the main protagonist. Also she is the main light in the dark poster maybe symbolising that she is the hero or saviour of the story.
 People around her are shown differently for example the twins (tweddle dee and tweedle dum) are only shown half of there bodies, it could be connoted that together they make a whole person. The red queen is shown on the right, her dress is dark, and her make-up is vibrant. This represents her character as being evil (the black and red denoting blood and death).
The white queen is shown at the bottom in bright white, this shows her innocence, gentleness and kindness, as well as planting her firmly on the side of 'good'. Her being marginalised at the bottom, however, could mean that she is not an important character.
The background of the image is dark, in all grayscale colours representing an dark difficult place, but the front of the poster is lighter and brighter showing it as a more pleasant place by having bright vibrant colours.
The tagline "Were all mad here" fits with the genre and style of the film, and the world Alice travels to is more like a fantasy than a reality. Also the use of the word "mad" plays up the character the mad hatter. The producers may choose to do this as he as the most famous actor within the film. 
The font is consistent throughout the poster,  Alice in wonderland shows a fading around the ages making it look like its moving forward or maybe shining. This could mean that the film is jam-packed full of adventure. Having the directors name above shows that importance of him. This means that the audience will know who he is and want to go see it because he is the creator of the film. 

1. Woman in Black Analysis

1. The most noticeable part of this poster is the choice of colours that have been used. By using only grey, black and white, a negative atmosphere is created as the poster appears dull and ghostly. This instantly allows an audience to be able to identify that the film is of the horror genre and implies that the supernatural will play a significant role. This is shown through the white and black shadows that form a ghostly figure in the background. Furthermore, the lack of colour can be seen to reflect the Victorian era that the film is set in as the greyness suggests that this is set in the past. The image used for this poster is a close-up of the main character that features in the film. The choice of using a close-up shot allows an audience to see the characters emotions which here appears serious and quite distant as he shows little expression. Lighting on this poster is successful in creating an eerie atmosphere. The light highlights the character which not only makes the eye go to him but portrays an idea that he is quite pale and drawn from the shadows that are created which is fitting to the ghost story. Similarly, the darkness in the background suggests danger and the unknown as the mist makes it difficult to see anything that may be coming. The text used appears simple yet bold as the capital letters and white colour allows the writing to stand out against the grey background. Furthermore, the white emphasises the ghostly theme in the style and colour as the reflection of the text creates an eerie atmosphere of feeling cold and haunted.  The use of a rhetorical question, “do you believe in ghosts?” creates the feeling that the poster is directly talking to the consumer. By placing this text next to the faint outline of the ghost in the background of the poster enforces that ghosts and the supernatural will play a significant role in the film.  The placement of the image on the left hand side of the poster makes the character have very little breathing space and creates a feeling of claustrophobia and unease as a sense of entrapment is created. By having very little in the background connotes that this character is alone and this is fearful for an audience as they are aware of the ghostly figure forming whereas the character is not.

1. 
   

THE INTERNSHIP

The full length shot shows the audience the full characters that they are going to be dealing with. It also allows consumers to see the clothing they are wearing which is very basic, and a slightly older middle class look. This says a lot about the characters before the audience even go and see the film. 
The lighting is very bright white which tell the audience the genre of the film, comedy. It also links with Google, the real life company that the film is based about and set in its headquarters.
The poster uses very basic colours, telling the audience that this film won't challenge them, it is just a genre film. This is a convention of comedy films, it shows the genre through this simple styling. The white background contributes to this as well as making the two protagonists stand out. This links to the film where they are outcasts and stand out again the other characters. Their confused expression also reinforces this idea to the consumer. 
The computer mouse, the tag line in the search box, and the Google colours used all link this film to the company in a very obvious way. Even if the audience isn't sure in what capacity yet. The props and costume of the older peoples clothing and lanyards indicate again a corporate link, along with the characters maybe being out of place or breaking a mould. 


BLACK SWAN 

A close up has been used to show her dark expression. This creates mystery as we don't fully know what to expect from her character. The right side of her face is in the light which symbolises the white swan, or the sane lighter side of herself. She is a very pure character and that is why she is a good portrayal of the white swan. The left hand side of her face, however, is darker, representing the black swan, and crazy darker side of herself. This is also the side of her face with the crack running down it, suggesting that the cracks in her sanity only occurred when she tried to be the black swan.
The black background has connotations of ominous mystery and from this we can tell that the film content will be hard-hitting and more than likely disturbing. The white feather on the light (right) side of her face, further emphasizes her character purity and connection with the white swan. Contrasted with the black background and shadows though, we can conclude that because of her pure character she cannot cope with the dark demands of being the 'black swan'. The main image is most dominant feature of the poster contains a quote praising the film 'An extradordinary intoxicating masterpeice'. Excessive use of syllables creates emphasis and also communicates the fact that this film is aimed at people educated in art  and ballet and less so aimed at children. 

 From this I have been influenced to carefully consider how I arrange the elements of my short film poster as analysing these posters has shown how everything can communicate a message to the audience.

Brain Storms of Ideas

Mood Board of Clips and Pictures

I know that this looks like a pretty random mix of pictures and clips, but they are forming ideas in my head so bear with! 

Audience Research Questionnaire

I have created a survey to find out as much as I can about my ideal target audience. Hopefully with this I can make a film that will get a good response as I am trying to bare in mind my audience throughout the research and planning process. Moreover I want to make sure I am creating content that is correctly targeted at my ideal audience, otherwise I may get negative responses if I miss judge what people want from my film. This survey allows me to delve further into the genre of short films that people like, platforms people watch short films on, how often they watch them, and what they expect from them. I need to know these things in order to find the codes and conventions that relate to what my audience want. My intention is to meet what my audience want while still making something original that maybe brakes a few codes and conventions, and therefore provides interest and intrigue in the viewer.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WPFD5WJ


Create your own user feedback survey

Corsework Progress Tracker Powerpoint

Regulations and Restrictions

I have researched into regulations and restrictions of films (features and shorts), and found out that they are controlled by a company called the BBFC.


The BBFC is required to consider whether material submitted for age rating and classification is in conflict with the law.
Licensing legislation lies behind the BBFC's powers to regulate film in the UK while the Video Recordings Act (VRA) 1984 is the basis upon which the BBFC applies the test of whether a work is suitable for viewing in the home. 

Linked with this is the consideration of potential harm, whether to the viewer, or to society through the viewer's behaviour. In particular, works involving the depiction of criminal behaviour, illegal drugs, violent or horrific behaviour and human sexual activity are given special regard under the 'harm' test. All digital works that are submitted to the BBFC for age rating are subject to the same level of scrutiny as DVDs.

 

How a film or DVD is rated:

• general context - plot, characters, outline of individual scenes

• timings of key moments, including camera angles, type of shots, on- and off-screen moments

• bad language, sex and drug references and so on

• Whether the material is in conflict with the law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence

• Whether the material, either on its own, or in combination with other content of a similar nature, may cause any harm at the age rating concerned. This includes not just any harm that may result from the behaviour of potential viewers, but also any ‘moral harm’ especially in regards to children. (Harm may include distorting a viewer’s sense of right and wrong, and limiting their capacity for compassion)

• The context in which an issue is presented is central to the question of its acceptability. 

• The work's target audience (who are likely to want to watch this film) are also taken into account.

• The overall tone of a work will also affect the final decision. If the work has a generally dark or unsettling tone that may disturb the audience. The impact of a work (ie, how it makes the audience feel) is also taken into account (for example in relation to horror films where threat may be more significant than violence)

With each work, Examiners log details of what they watch, including:

• Reports include a brief synopsis of the work, details of the issues and an argument in support of the recommended age rating. Most decisions are straightforward and are based on the BBFC's published Guidelines, which were last revised in 2009. The distributor can request a specific age rating, which the solo Examiner or team will take into consideration, but such a request does not determine the final decision. If necessary and appropriate, cuts may be suggested to meet the category request.

• If a work contains material which is illegal or unacceptable under the BBFC's Guidelines, examiners will draw up a list of cuts which will be sent to the distributor. If a work as a whole is unacceptable, it can be rejected altogether. (Things that are classed as unacceptable include indecent images of children, animal cruelty, obscenity, racial hatred and human rights.)

The BBFC works on several major principles in determining the age rating of a given work:
• Violence
• Sex
• Sexual Violence
• Drugs
• Horror
• Imitable Behaviour
• Discrimination
• Language

Secondary Research

• Youtube videos and tutorials (These are playlists)

• Websites

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/introduction/why-make-a-short

http://www.stuff.tv/features/how-make-short-film-11-pro-tips-movie-making

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/introduction/what-makes-a-good-short

http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/filmmaking-lesson-8-make-some-short-films/

http://www.if.org.uk/filmcompetition/10-step-guide

Previous Students Short Films

I have looked at different short films all made by students in the same position as myself, as a Alevel Media student. I decided to look at other films that just ones made by students at my own school as I felt there was a broader range online.

Timeline of A History of Short Films

Short Films Research

Here I have complied a few of my favouite short films which I have reviewed, analysed and commented on.

• Animated (Digitally)

Feast is the story of a romance told through a stray dog and the food he eats. The lack of dialogue is not a detriment to the film, rather than an asset to the sense of realism, despite the animation  the verisimilitude is strong throughout the storyline. As this is a Disney short film the budget would have been a lot higher and others in its range,and this money has been used effectively to create a story that is engaging to both genders, and to multiple age ranges. The style of animation and character used is very characteristically Disney and therefore links the film inconstricabley to them. Because of the lack of dialogue the rest of the soundtrack including score and sound effects was very important t get right. Fortunately Disney's skilled sound designers have done it again and have produced an emotive and effective sound track to compliment the other features of the film. As the film's main character is the Dog the camera shots are often of the lower half of his human companions. Despite this being a strange choice, it works well within the context of the film.And it is varied when the dog is on top of various pieces of furniture. The pacing is well constructed and is kept up throughout the film.  Overall the use of the main character being the dog to engage audience is effective, and emotive narrative produces a positive emotional response in the audience. 9/10

• Spanish

"The Most Beautiful Thing" is a film about a mute girl, and the lonely boy who brought her out of her shell. The story is heartwarming and emotional, and the character development within the 10 minute film is extraordinary. The plot was believable and kept the audience within the diegesis. It was a amateur film, with a reasonable budget, but it looked like it was shot professionally as it was so flawlessly done. The camera work and editing while basic, did the necessary job and effectively created a realistic diagnosis. This was helped by the really good acting from the two main leads, both of their characters felt real and emotionally complex. While set at a stereotypical student film location, a university, it provided a good back drop to the centre action of the film. The music and soundtrack were put together really well as it was in the limelight due to the lack of dialogue. The high key lighting, while easy to achieve was consistent throughout. The pacing kept up through out, through use of montages. Overall I was pretty impressed with the film, and even though it wasn't my favourite genre it managed to keep me engaged and interested thought. 6/10

• Low budget indie 

In REC the protagonist finds himself in the middle of a war zone, and in a attempt to survive he forms an unstable alliance. Although I liked the film I found it difficult to remain with the diegesis as a viewer due to the lack in continuity, mise en scene, and attention to detail. Unfortunately the real world slipped through the cracks and showed throughout the film. For example I thought it was nice of the terrorists to take off their shoes before breaking into a house. The extreme low budget was obviously a set back, resulting in amateur cast and crew and limiting the film from what it could have been. Having said that the sound and visual effects were really believable and effective, and were one of the films best features in my opinion.  However it lacks some of the most basic things that carry an film to be believe able to keep the audience in the diegesis. Although I liked the soundtrack, on closer inspection it seems to have been ripped from the popular TV show lost. This disregard for copyright won't with stand once these filmmakers enter the professional film world. I actually really liked the plot, and I think it was let down by some shoddy acting. More emphasis was really needed on locations, costume, and make up, but very realistic looking props were used. Some clever shots were used, I especially  like the very first and last shots. Overall, I thought that although this film had a clever plot, it was outweighed by mistakes and cracks in the diegesis. 3/10

• University Student Made
 

Identity is about a brave girl who encounters the truth that sets her free from living in a world where everybody wears masks due to their lack of self-identity. While the film is largely metaphorical and symbolic the basic storyline still makes sense. The self discovery of the little girl is the main point of the film and her character arc is what drives the narrative. The use of reversing the footage is effective as an intriguing opening to the film. The telling of her backstory through the pictures in her notebook is very effective too. The film has a lot of weight in just 5 minuets. However, the high school kid is clearly an adult when she takes her mask of, this unfortunately takes the audience out of the diegesis and kinda ruins the film for me. Apart from that the casting is really good as the acting is well executed even in the emotional scenes. The backdrop of the school, while stereotypical, fits the character and plot. The masks were very strong in terms of symbolism and I think they were a good idea that was well executed. The soundtrack is strong, and was a driving force behind the narrative. Clearly some clever film making, and I think the crew will go on to do great things. The message pf the film is clear.  Don't let society define your Identity, or to tell you who you have to be. The truth is already inside of you. Don't lose who you are. Overall I really liked it but I think it was let down by a couple points. 5/10

• Fantasy/ Not of this world (Only the trailer can be viewed online without paying)
 
In the distant future, the world is blanketed in a dense man-made fog. In this post apocalyptic world, a father and his son build a flying machine to try and get above the clouds to escape their daily struggle to survive on the ground. But the son, Blue, is wearied by a lifetime of unfulfilled promises and has lost faith in his father, Gideon,'s crazy dream. Their flying attempts are becoming too dangerous and he is sure there is nothing but cloud in the sky. So Blue hatches a plan to keep his father on the ground, but their differing ideologies threaten to break them apart as a family. Made by a National Film and Television School student while studying at the school. It was nominated for 3 different prestigious awards, and rightly so as its wonderful mis en scene and use of language gives it its uplifting feel. Its use of miniatures intermixed with the life action filmed on a stage and on location.
The character arcs are well paced, heartwarmingly inspirational. The unique use of language connotes that this setting is not of this world, and provides a unique aspect to the film through its made up colloquialisms. The sepia, saturated colour correction gives the film a dream like feel to great effect.  Finding good child actor is no easy feat, however the crew seem to have done a amazing job casting for both the characters. The acting made the strange setting of the film seem real through the human emotion displayed. The art direction was pretty flawless in creating a believable world unlike one are know and transporting the audience there as a set on a stage. There are virtually no wide shots, the concept of the world with dense fog everywhere wouldn't allow for establishing shot. But this is more than made up for during the dream like sequence above the clouds. Overall I think its pretty clear that I'm singing this film's praises, and well deserved too in my opinion! 9/10


• Award Winning 

Father and Daughter is a 2000 Dutch animated short film, made by Michaël Dudok de Wit. It won the 2000 Academy Award for Animated Short Film.The film also received over 20 awards and 1 nomination and is considered the most successful in the series of works by Michaël. It was also included in the Animation Show of Shows. The music is really annoying but it fits the genre of the film, and was clearly composted to and for the film as it perfectly fits throughout.  The symbolism of the bike/ wheels/ and boat is tastefully used and creates an emotive and deep meaning to the film. The use of black and white is effective, and of corse this is because of the way it was made but it gives the film an extra dimension. The change in style of animation changes up the film and maintains audiences interest. For me the film is too slow moving. The film noir style adds shadow and depth to the otherwise plain visuals. The happy ending created emotion and fulfilment within the audience. The high budget allowed the filmmakers to craft their diegesis with the skill and time it needed. The varied range of camera shots mixed up the film and kept it interesting for the audience. Overall, while clearly a well made film, the very slow pacing let the film down and didn't keep me interested throughout. 2/10

• Surrealism


Stanley's life runs like clockwork until a mysterious girl turns his world upside down, is the tagline of the film, which I feel is quite cleverly written as it sound like a regular romance film, but when you watch the film you realise that while the statement is true it is so far from it. This tag line, like the film kind of leads you down a path and then pulls the rug from under your feet but in the most heartfelt way. This is a refreshing animated short that will entwine you into the mysterious life of the main character. An exploration into a fantastic art direction with an abundant burst of colour and texture that compliment an already brimming story. The film catches you by surprise right from the start using an unusual filmmaking technique. Pixilation is the art of animating people using stop-motion instead of puppets or clay, a very challenging thing to create, but if perfected can give you a surreal sense that is impossible to find in regular film. Vicky Mather created the film with a still photo camera on two sets and two locations at the NFTS. The approach to Stanley Pickle was to make a film which was technically challenging, with strong art direction, and most importantly a clear and heartfelt narrative. The story line is rather unusual and imaginative, even a little creepy, but it raises heartfelt issues that are brilliantly exposed through pixilation. The same narrative would probably not be as wistful if it was filmed regularly, and not as credible if it was a claymation or cartoon animation. Her use of markedly dark comedy lightens the mood in the rigid but colourful clockwork characters.Aside from the excellent use of camera the other things that stood out for me where the set design, the careful mise en scene, the and editing. The acting was faultless, which is good because the film really needed it to bring the narrative to life due to the strange shooting style. The overall film is very effective and is one that I don't think I will forget for a long time thanks to its unique shooting style. 8/10




Documentary 
In "A place Like This" a war veteran explains some of the experiences he had during the war and how they lead to him creating his garden that he loves so much. The film's very low budget but that didn't seem to matter as it was still very well made. The story was unexpected, as the title doesn't elude to the main focus of the film, but it was touching and uplifting despite this. However the sound design was annoying, they needed more nature and less weird gong noise in the background. Having said this the audio of the dialogue and nature sounds were very well recorded and put together nicely. The camera work was visually very nice, even if the shots were quite basic.  The editing put the film to ether well with good pacing. Overall, a very nice gentle film, but for me it the link between the garden and the war story seemed forced and unnatural and lowered the standard of the nicely shot documentary.  5/10




"Youtuber Professional"
This short drama last 9 minutes and was published on the 14th May 2015. The director and writer is Seth Worley. This short film is about a man named Elwood Holler who, after a brief glimpse into the great beyond from nearly dying, can’t give up on life. No matter how hard he tries. It is rated at 8.3/10 stars on IMDB. The start of the film opens with suggested viewing age of 13+, on a black background. This could suggest some dark features in the film or to simply make the writing stand out, be bold. It is shown though a quick fade and we see this for about 4 seconds. The fact that they state ‘13+’ clearly tells us that their target audience are people aged 13 and over, this to me suggests that the nature of this film is not too shocking. The films next shot is of a production called ‘Triune Films’. The colours have changed brighter and calmer. I found that the way they introduced their production logo really interesting because it was zoomed into from a green dot and then it almost jumps out and back in again and the triangle is then drawn with the production name with it. After that the logo starts to become darker and smaller and then eventually fades into the shape of the sun which is graphic match.

The amazing thing about this short film, is that in theory it should be completely depressing. But it isn't, its facetiously funny. Its about a man who keeps on trying to kill himself but no matter what, just keeps failing at it. This juxtaposition of its concept and outcome creates an amazingly member able and effective short film. It had to be extremely well written to keep the balance on the fine line between the theme of suicide and its comedic tendencies. Being a relatively low budget short film presented challenges in its creation as the crew were not able to make and do some of the things they wanted to. The cast and crew were made up of entirely professionals, but were small business local based people. The acting though was seamless, and as a audience I entity bought into the character and his plight. The  bleak setting perfectly fit the tone of the film. The desaturated colour correction also contributes to these feelings. The camera work was very expertly pulled off, with sophisticated looking techniques and visuals. The high end cameras used, were used very effectively. The pace of the film was kept up though out, and left not dull slow moments and spaced out the different acts with precision. I expected to love this film as I have never yet been let down by Film Riot or their associates film's. As I thought I would I did thoroughly enjoy and engage with the creative and thought provoking film. 9/10




Stop Frame Animation (This one is a personal favourite of mine)
Butterfly is a film about a man trying to overcome and find closure after his brothers death. The stop frame animation was made painstakingly over the course of 5 years. The labour of love shows in its quality. Each frame is a complete masterpiece, as each has been hand crafted to be perfect. The gripping storyline makes your heart wrench as you empathise with main character and his plight to get closure after his brothers death. This feeling of companionship with the desperate main character keeps the audience on the edge of their seat throughout this slightly longer than usual short film. The lack of dialogue in the film except from the two brothers interaction clearly shows that this scene is a pivotal part and moment within the narrative. The character arc and development is the main focus point of the film, and was effectively used as a plot devise. The film was reasonably high budget, considering the writer/ director/ producer was fresh out of a MA Film degree when he started. This lack of experience however is not evident in his work as the whole piece skill full made and feels very professional. The voice acting is superb and in combination with the excellent model making the characters feel flawlessly human, despite being caricatures made from modelling clay. The sound design was less noticeable to me than the visuals, however they were very competently constructed to compliment the other aspects of the film. Overall, I loved this film and felt very touched by its message and loved its visual construction. For me it deserves a 10/10 rating.